AS THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BEGAN, THE IMPORTANCE OF FORMAL ED...
EXERCISE 1
As the twentieth century began, the importance of formal education in the United States
increased. The frontier had mostly disappeared and by 1910 most Americans lived in towns and
cities. Industrialization and the bureaucratization of economic life combined with a new
emphasis upon credentials and expertise to make schooling increasingly important for
economic and social mobility. Increasingly, too, schools were viewed as the most
important means of integrating immigrants into American society.
The arrival of a great wave of southern and eastern European immigrants at the turn of the
century coincided with and contributed to an enormous expansion of formal schooling.
By 1920 schooling to age fourteen or beyond was compulsory in most states, and the school
year was greatly lengthened. Kindergartens, vacation schools, extracurricular activities, and
vocational education and counseling extended the influence of public schools over the lives of
students, many of whom in the larger industrial cities were the children of immigrants. Classes
for adult immigrants were sponsored by public schools, corporations, unions, churches,
settlement houses, and other agencies.
Reformers early in the twentieth century suggested that education programs should suit the
needs of specific populations. Immigrant women were once such population. Schools tried to
educate young women so they could occupy productive places in the urban industrial economy,
and one place many educators considered appropriate for women was the home.
Although looking after the house and family was familiar to immigrant women, American
education gave homemaking a new definition. In preindustrial economies, homemaking had
meant the production as well as the consumption of goods, and it commonly included income-
producing activities both inside and outside the home, in the highly industrialized early-
twentieth-century United States, however, overproduction rather than scarcity was becoming a
problem. Thus, the ideal American homemaker was viewed as a consumer rather than a
producer. Schools trained women to be consumer homemakers cooking, shopping, decorating,
and caring for children "efficiently" in their own homes, or if economic necessity demanded, as
employees in the homes of others. Subsequent reforms have made these notions seem quite
out-of-date.
Questions
Question 1: The paragraph preceding the passage probably discusses ...
A. the industrialization and the bureaucratization of economic life the United States in the
nineteen century.
B. the formal schooling in the United States in the nineteen century.
C. the urbanization in the United States in the nineteen century.
D. the most important means of integrating immigrants into American society in the nineteen
century.
Question 2: It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that one important factor in the increasing
importance of education in the United States was ...
A. the expanding economic problems of schools
B. the growing number of schools in frontier communities
C. an increase in the number of trained teachers
D. the increased urbanization of the entire country
Question 3: The word “means” in line 5 is closest in meaning to ...
A. qualifications B. method C. advantages D. probability
Question 4: The phrase “coincided with” in line 7 is closest in meaning to .
A. happened at the same time as B. ensured the success of
C. was influenced by D. began to grow rapidly
Question 5: According to the passage, one important change in United States education by
the 1920's was that .
A. the amount of time spent on formal education was limited
B. new regulations were imposed on nontraditional education
C. adults and children studied in the same classes
D. most places required children to attend school
Question 6: “Vacation schools and extracurricular activities” are mentioned in line 9 to
illustrate .
A. activities that competed to attract new immigrants to their programs.
B. alternatives to formal education provided by public schools
C. the importance of educational changes
D. the increased impact of public schools on students
Question 7: According to the passage, early-twentieth century education reformers believed
that .
A. special programs should be set up in frontier communities to modernize them
B. corporations and other organizations damaged educational progress
C. different groups needed different kinds of education
D. more women should be involved in education and industry
Question 8: The word "it" in line 19 refers to ...
A. education B. consumption C. production D. homemaking
Question 9: Women were trained to be consumer homemakers as a result of .
A. scarcity in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
B. economic necessity in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
C. income-producing activities in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
D. overproduction in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States
Question 10: Which paragraph mentions the importance of abilities and experience in formal
schooling?
A. Paragraph 2 B. Paragraph 4 C. Paragraph 1 D. Paragraph 3